Postal weighing-scales



(No Model.)

J. C. BITTSGHOFSKY. POSTAL WBIGHING SCALES.

Patented Peb.11,`1890.

. wramog elfico UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

JULIUS C. BITTSCI-IOFSKY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

POSTAL wEieHmG-soALEs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,026, dated February 11, 1890.

Application tiled January 26, 1889. Serial No. 297,720. (No model.)

To all whom. t may concern:

Beit knownthat I, J ULIUs @.BITTscHoFsKY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga andvention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in postal scales g and it consists, essentially, in the combination, with the scale-beam, of a postal-scale card supported on said beam at one side thereof and a pointer connected with the sliding weight, all as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a postal scale, showing a scale-card in positionon the beam containing chieiiy domestic postage. Fig. 2 isaview of the reverse sidei of the card containing` scale of foreign postage. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the sliding weight with its attached pointer and the scale card land beam in section, looking from the direction of the standard. Fig. 4 shows one means of attaching the card to the beam, and Fig. 5 another. Fig. G is a view of another way of attaching the pointer to weight or poise.

A represents the standard, B the scalebeam, and C the poise or movable weight. As seen in Fig. 3, the poise is slotted centrally to slide over the beam, and the beam is provided with the usual ounce and halfounce subdivisions upon its top edge, common in postal scales of this variety, and figures l 2 3 4, &c., upon its side to denote the ounces. An indicator c on the poise engages the notches b on the edge of the beam at the ounce and halfounce points. By this means the weight of a package maybe ascer tained, from which. the amount of postage can be computed by those familiar with the rates, or resort may b e had to a table in which the rates are iigured out. Y

The object of my invention is to economize time in ascertaining the exact amount of post-A age due in any given case, and to aiord cheap,

` direct, and reliable means for this purpose.

This I accomplish by attaching a postal-scale card to the beam itself and providing a pointer which tells the amount of postage due. The exact means comprising this attachment is a scale-card D, the front of which is seen in Fig. l. As here shown, the card contains separate longitudinal columns devoted to the four different classifications of postage-such as first class, second class, &c.-with the amount of postage required per ounce or per two or more'ounces, as the case may be, with a statement at the end of the column of the particular class of postage and the kind of matter comprised therein. Along the tcp of the card countries to which4 these rates apply are specied. Upon the reverse or back of the card D, as shown in Fig. 2, the rates of fon eign postage are given not covered in the face rates shown in Fig. 1. This card thus prepared is supported upon the scale-beam preferably by one of two means, either as shown in Figs. l and 4, in which case a short bolt e is screwed into the screw-holes b in the scale-beam at or near each end, and the card is held, through corresponding perform tions d, between the head of the bolt and sleeve g surrounding the body thereof, or as shown in Fig. 5, where a piece of wire bent to spring upon the beam and to grip the card at its respective ends is employed. In the first form mentioned the scale beam and card both are punctured to make the attachment; but inthe latter neither is punctured. Both forms of course are detachable, so that the scale can be used without the card, if desired. As the poise slides along bodily upon the beam it occupies space upon either side thereof, and the support for the card should extend away from the beam sufficiently to make room for the free movement of the poise. Obviously other equivalent means of attaching the card laterally to the beam will suggest themselves; but sufficient is shown here to indicate the scope of this part of the invention.

Il is apointer and support, which, as shwn in Figs. l and 3, is formed of a fine Wire or its equivalent, having one end inserted in the poise directly above the indicator c and bent thence at rightangles, as seen in Fig. 3, eX- tends laterally to the card, where it is bent again at right angles and lies vertically across IOO the face of the card with its extremity bent back and extending down on the rear of the card. Thus formed and being directly above the indicator c in vertical alignment, the pointer H not only serves to denote the amount of postage due in any particular class whatever the position of the poise on the beam, and whether domestic or foreign, but it also serves as a support for the scale-card. These cards are made of ordinary light cardboard or other suitable material and printed, but being light require a support above their lower edge, as otherwise they would be very liable to be bent out of useful position.

In Fig. 6 I show a clamp-baud K around the poise above the scale-bar with a pointer attached to the band in lieu of perforating the poise, as in Fig. 1. The exact means of attaching the pointer H to the poise is not material, provided the pointerbe made to co incide exactly with the indicator on the poise.

It will be seen that with a scalecard thus arranged and classified and a pointer to denote the amount of postage required the question of the Weight of a letter or package is really immaterial, and the eye goes directly7 to the scalecard and reads there in figures the information desired. There is no calculation, no delay, no mistake; the pointer tells all that is Wanted to be known.

Of course some additional Weight is added to the scale-beam by this attachment, but this slight derangement is easily remedied by rebalancing with small shot in the usual Way. By this construction the scale-beam and the rate card balance together, and thus the pointer will indicate with the utmost accuracy and nicety the postal rate, Whether the package remains on the scale or is removed therefrom. This, of course, could not occur if the cards were detached from the scale-beam and separately supported, as in that case the pointer would indicate one thing when the beam is down and another when it is up, and accuracy would be impossible.

The arms for supporting the scale-card, When formed as seen in Fig. 5, will grip the card and the scale-beam so firmly that it will be perfectly secure for both purposes, and of course will be fixed on the beam at each end just outside of the range of the poise, so as not to interfere with weighing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In postal scales, a scale-card, supports for the card on the scale-beam and extending laterally therefrom to one side of the path of the poise, with a combined pointer and support attached to the poise and bent to lie across the face of thc card and down over the back of the same, all said parts in combination, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a scale-beam, of a price-indicator card, a support on said beam for said card, a poise movable on said beam, and a pointer rigidly fixed on said poise and extending over the graduated face of said card, substantially as set forth.

JULIUS C. BITTSCHOFSKY.

Witnesses:

I. T. Conny, Il. T. FISHER. 

